


A New Beginning

by codex213



Category: Raven's Home (TV)
Genre: Bisexuality, F/F, Family, Femslash, Non-Canon Relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codex213/pseuds/codex213
Summary: Chelsea and Levi move in with Raven and the twins. Amid raising their kids together (plus Tess), the pair realize that something has changed.
Relationships: Raven Baxter/Chelsea Daniels
Comments: 15
Kudos: 60





	1. The Midnight Visit

**Author's Note:**

> Raven's Home does not belong to me, but I love playing with the characters. Raven and Chelsea is something that I have shipped since That's So Raven was on the air. There will be a (hopefully) slow burn between Chelsea and Raven, since I don't see their relationship instantaneously changing. I am currently planning on incorporating (loosely) some of the shenanigans from the show, but it will be mostly non-canon--at least, that's what I'm going to try to do, but that may change. Thanks in advance for reading, and please rate and review!

It was midnight when a soaking wet Chelsea and Levi Grayson knocked on Raven Baxter's door. They were each holding one bag each, looking more like drowned cats than the redhead and brunette that they were. Grabbing a bat nearby, Raven cautiously opened the door, ready to swing. Catching a glimpse of familiar red hair, she stopped herself mid-swing, even as her best friend and her son took a step back. “Chels! What are you doing here?” the woman asked, ushering the two inside.

Chelsea shot a pointed look to Levi. Catching it, Raven turned to the young boy. “Why don't you go get dried off and into dry clothes while your mom and I talk?” Nodding, Levi headed toward the bathroom of the apartment. “You. Bedroom. I have a spare robe,” Raven stated, turning to her best friend. “While you're changing, you can explain what's going on. I thought you and Garrett were good?” she asked, leading the way. Chelsea sighed from behind her, water squishing in her shoes. “It _was_ good...or at least I thought it was,” she said quietly, wiping an errant tear away. Gathering her best friend in her arms, Raven stroked the red hair she knew all too well.

“I'll get you wet, Chelsea sniffled, moving to take a step back.

“You're much more important,” Raven retorted, stroking her best friend's back. Chelsea had been there for her when she and Devon had split up; this was the least that Raven could do. The two women hugged for what seemed like an eternity, until a small 'ahem' broke their embrace.

“Are you okay, Mom?” Levi asked, wearing an old t-shirt of Booker's and pants that looked like they were swallowing him whole.

“Your clothes got wet, huh?” Raven asked, chuckling softly.

“Soaked. We probably shouldn't have bought cloth duffel bags,” he replied, shooting a pointed look to his mother.

“Why don't you go sleep in Booker's room, and your mama can sleep in here? We'll figure things out in the morning,” Rae suggested before Chelsea could break down again. Levi nodded, trudging down the hall, pant legs billowing out behind him.

“Moo-oom!” Booker yelled from his room a few minutes later.

“He's gon' get it,” Raven muttered under her breath as she stormed out of the room. Chelsea smiled after her best friend and quickly toweled off, throwing on Raven's spare robe. It smelled like her, still. It was a smell that Chelsea missed while she and Garret were married; the Englishman didn't like Raven all that well. Sighing, the redhead sat on Raven's bed, looking around. She made the small apartment feel warm and welcoming, something that her huge home had never given her. Then again, she had always felt right at home with the Baxter's.

“Chelsea? Chels?” Raven asked, moving to her side, wrapping an arm around the other woman.

“Hm?” Chelsea asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Raven asked, brown eyes meeting brown.

“Not tonight, Rae. I'll take the couch,” Chelsea replied, her cheery voice betraying her exhausted and tear-streaked face.

“I'll take the couch,” Raven offered, standing up.

“It's your house.”

“You're the guest,” Raven replied before meeting Chelsea's eyes. “Wait, no. Chels, you're not a guest. Not in this house. You never have been. You're family,” she said, words tumbling over each other.

Chelsea smiled faintly, taking the other woman's hands in her own. “I know that, Raven. We've always been family.”

“So....share the bed?” It seemed like a good compromise to Raven, and the grateful smile that Chelsea gave her proved that it was a good decision.


	2. The Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chelsea and Raven have a desperately-needed heart to heart about Chelsea's current situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raven's Home does not belong to me. Trigger warning: mention of emotional/physical abuse. While nothing graphic is described, it is still mentioned. As always, please rate and review.

Stretching out the next morning, Raven’s body collided with a warm mass. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled at a still-sleeping Chelsea. The redhead looked so peaceful, a complete change from the bedraggled woman that had shown up at her door the night before. Carefully manuevering out of the tangle of limbs that was Chelsea, Raven crept across the room, sparing one last glance at her best friend. Chelsea snored softly and moved more to the middle of the bed, but other than that, there was no sign that Raven had been laying beside her just a few moments ago. 

Slippers padding on the hardwood as she made her way to the kitchen, Raven began brewing her routine pot of coffee. Pouring cereal into three bowls, the dark-haired woman poured herself a cup of coffee, smiling as the apartment began to come alive with the sounds of children waking up for the day. Nia was in the kitchen first, yawning as she poured milk into her bowl and moved to the table. She and Booker usually argued over who got the first bowl of cereal, but Booker was busy with Levi. The younger twin graciously allowed his guest to go first, Levi pouring a small amount of milk in and stepping carefully so that he didn’t trip on the way to the table. 

After the kids were situated, eating and chattering over cereal and orange juice, Chelsea emerged from Raven’s room. “Morning kids,” she said through a yawn, heading towards the small kitchen. A chorus of ‘Good morning Aunt Chels’ and ‘Good morning mom’s rang out and she shot a grateful smile at her best friend. A knock at the door interrupted the morning routine, and as Raven went to answer the door, coffee still in hand, Chelsea took a few steps back toward the sink, an unreadable expression on her face. 

“Good morning Tess,” Raven sighed, ushering the neighbor in. The twins smiled warmly at their friend and Raven turned back to the kitchen. Chelsea’s coffee was abandoned on the island and was gripping the sink, her knuckles turning white. Her heart sank for her friend; she didn’t know what had happened, but she knew that she never wanted to kill Garrett more than she did in that moment. “Your dad is downstairs to take you three to school,” she continued, waving them toward the door. 

“What about Levi?” Booker asked, pausing by the door and turning to look at his mother. Making a split decision, she turned to the redhead still trying to calm down in the kitchen. “Take him to school with you, but  _ keep him close _ . If anything happens to him…”

“I’m gon’ get it, I know Mom. Thanks,” Booker replied, waving for Levi to follow him. 

After the kids were safely downstairs, Raven turned back to Chelsea. “We have to talk about that, Chels,” she said, taking the redhead’s hand in hers and leading her to the couch. Sighing, Chelsea sat down; she didn’t even know where to start.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Raven continued when Chelsea didn’t say anything. 

Nodding quietly, Chelsea cleared her throat. “He...uh...he’s in prison,” she began.

“I know that part. And about him wiping you out financially,” Raven replied. 

“I keep thinking that every time there’s someone at the door, it will be him. That...that it isn’t actually over,” Chelsea said in a near-whisper.

Raven clenched her fist and restrained herself from saying anything. She hadn’t liked Garrett when she had met him, or when he and Chelsea got married, but she absolutely loathed him now. Clearing her throat, she took the familiar slender hands in her own once again. “You’re safe here, Chels. You and Levi are always welcome. Always.”

Chelsea sniffled and nodded, squeezing Raven’s hand in the process. “Thanks, Rae. It’s just….all still fresh, ya know?”

“It’s been less than a month since everything got finalized and he was sent to prison, Chels. You’re allowed to grieve. You lost your money, your house, your marriage….your life. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who don’t love you. My kids and I, we all adore you.” 

Chelsea leaned into Raven and gazed up at her. “You’re the best, Rae,” she said quietly. In return, Raven smiled gently back down at the redhead.

“What do you have for a living situation?” she asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

“I….I don’t know. Those two bags are all Levi and I have left…” Chelsea said, her voice barely a whisper. She wasn’t about to impose on her best friend and her two kids, not when they were already struggling so much.

“That’s easy. You’re moving in with us.” It wasn’t a suggestion, more like a statement of fact. Chelsea knew how stubborn Raven could be, and she wasn’t in any type of mood to dispute her best friend. 

“Where will everyone sleep?” Chelsea asked, concern evident in her voice. 

“Well, the boys can bunk together, and I guess we can sleep in the same room,” Raven suggested with a shrug. “It’ll be just like in high school, when we used to have sleepovers all the time,” she continued, flashing a warm smile at the redhead.

Chelsea smiled back at her best friend in spite of her current mood. They had always had that effect on one another--the ability to cheer the other one up no matter what the circumstances. It was part of what made their friendship so strong and survive so much. “That might be fun,” she conceded, patting Raven’s hand. It was official. Chelsea and Levi were moving in. 


	3. The First Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Booker has his first vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you're liking it so far! I have a lot of storylines that I want to incorporate into the story, so the set-up is almost done, and then the real fun begins! After this, things should get a lot cuter and more couple-y...but nothing is happening too fast. As always, rate and review!

Weeks passed, and a new normalcy appeared. Raven would make the first pot of coffee and make the kids lunch. Chelsea would take care of breakfast for the kids, usually cereal after numerous failed attempts at pancakes. Tess would usually join them for breakfast, and packing an extra lunch for her became second nature to Raven. Tess would eat dinner with the family and leave only when kicked out by either of the adults.

On a Wednesday morning across town, Booker was frozen. The halls were cleared out for the time being, so that was good. But the movie that was playing in his head wasn’t as serene as his surroundings. Levi was covered in white paint, shaking it from his hands and hair. Just as quickly as he’d been sucked in, he was thrust back into the real world. Noticing Levi standing beside him, he jumped. “W-what are you doing?” he asked the younger boy, clearing his throat. 

“You were just...standing there. Are you okay?” Levi asked, curiosity and worry mingling in his voice. 

“Yeah...yeah...you know how I do,” Booker replied, flashing a smile at the 9-year-old. 

Levi didn’t buy it, but the start-of-day bell meant that he couldn’t push the issue right now. Meeting up with the girls, the quartet walked to class together. For his part, Booker managed to act like nothing had happened, and by the end of the day, he had successfully forgotten about it...until they walked to their normal meet-up spot to wait for Chelsea to pick them up. 

“Really, they’ve got to move these ladders. Someone could trip,” Nia pointed out, quickly sidestepping a ladder. Booker wasn’t as fast, tripping over a leg of the ladder. Whatever was sitting at the top of the ladder spilled...on Levi. “That’s what I saw!” Booker whispered loudly as Levi began shaking paint off of him. 

The group collectively turned to look at him. “What do you mean, what you saw?” Levi asked, breaking the silence. Taking a nervous look around, Booker began talking in hushed tones. He talked about what he had seen, and what that mean for him. They were inclined not to believe him, but they had just seen the result of his vision.

“What happened to you?!” Chelsea exclaimed, rushing over to Levi. Everyone quickly stopped talking, but the redhead didn’t seem to notice. 

“D-did you just get here, Ms. G?” Tess asked nervously.

“I was here long enough to see the ladder fall,” Chelsea replied, herding the kids to the car. There was no more talk of the vision on the way home, everyone trying to gauge Chelsea’s knowledge of the paint incident. “How was school?” she asked once they were well on their way home. 

The kids quickly mumbled under their breath before falling silent once more. The quietness was enough to alert the adult in the vehicle that something was up. “You guys can talk to me,” she said, glancing in the mirror and meeting three pairs of eyes. 

Nia glanced at Tess, who shook her head slightly. If they told Chelsea what was going on, she would tell Raven. And that would  _ not _ end well. Booker cleared his throat, glancing between Tess and Nia. Someone had to say something, otherwise Chelsea would tell their mom that something was up. “It’s just…”

“Just Zeena,” Nia cut in, shooting a look at her brother. He hadn’t said anything fast enough. “She thinks she’s so much better than everyone else, and doesn’t have a problem letting you know that she thinks that. She made Tess’ life pretty miserable today,” Nia continued, glancing apologetically at her best friend.

“Yeah, she messed up my jump shot,” Tess improvised, smiling at the others in the backseat when it appeared that they had satisfied Chelsea’s curiosity. 

Arriving home, the redhead deposited her bag on the serving window as the kids raced to put their things away before converging on the roof. Smiling at their retreating backs, she smiled as she remembered how many times she and Raven had scurried off to the brunette’s bedroom in high school to gossip and hang out. 

On the roof, a pact was made. “No one can tell Aunt Chelsea or Mom that I can see what’s happening before it happens,” Booker said, meeting each pair of eyes.

“Visions?” Nia asked.

  
“Yeah, let’s call them that from now on,” Booker replied, nodding in agreement. “Anyway, Mom and Aunt Chels  _ can not _ know about my visions. We all know how mom is, and we all know that Aunt Chels can’t keep a secret from mom,” he continued. Nodding, the kids all smiled at each other; it was like they were all part of a secret club, with just the four of them as members. Four text message alerts went off at the same time, and four heads snapped up. It was dinnertime. 


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations and plans are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. Thank you for getting this far! This chapter is a bit of a mess, and I apologize, but there was so much that I wanted to cover and storylines to set up and continue. BUT! We see the first flickering of Raven panicking because she's realizing that Chelsea is beautiful. Trigger warning for PTSD and hints of domestic and emotional abuse.

Weeks passed, and a new normalcy appeared. Raven would make the first pot of coffee and make the kids lunch. Chelsea would take care of breakfast for the kids, usually cereal after numerous failed attempts at pancakes. Tess would usually join them for breakfast, and packing an extra lunch for her became second nature to Raven. Tess would eat dinner with the family and leave only when kicked out by either of the adults.

On a Wednesday morning across town, Booker was frozen. The halls were cleared out for the time being, so that was good. But the movie that was playing in his head wasn’t as serene as his surroundings. Levi was covered in white paint, shaking it from his hands and hair. Just as quickly as he’d been sucked in, he was thrust back into the real world. Noticing Levi standing beside him, he jumped. “W-what are you doing?” he asked the younger boy, clearing his throat. 

“You were just...standing there. Are you okay?” Levi asked, curiosity and worry mingling in his voice. 

“Yeah...yeah...you know how I do,” Booker replied, flashing a smile at the 9-year-old. 

Levi didn’t buy it, but the start-of-day bell meant that he couldn’t push the issue right now. Meeting up with the girls, the quartet walked to class together. For his part, Booker managed to act like nothing had happened, and by the end of the day, he had successfully forgotten about it...until they walked to their normal meet-up spot to wait for Chelsea to pick them up. 

“Really, they’ve got to move these ladders. Someone could trip,” Nia pointed out, quickly sidestepping a ladder. Booker wasn’t as fast, tripping over a leg of the ladder. Whatever was sitting at the top of the ladder spilled...on Levi. “That’s what I saw!” Booker whispered loudly as Levi began shaking paint off of him. 

The group collectively turned to look at him. “What do you mean, what you saw?” Levi asked, breaking the silence. Taking a nervous look around, Booker began talking in hushed tones. He talked about what he had seen, and what that mean for him. They were inclined not to believe him, but they had just seen the result of his vision.

“What happened to you?!” Chelsea exclaimed, rushing over to Levi. Everyone quickly stopped talking, but the redhead didn’t seem to notice. 

“D-did you just get here, Ms. G?” Tess asked nervously.

“I was here long enough to see the ladder fall,” Chelsea replied, herding the kids to the car. There was no more talk of the vision on the way home, everyone trying to gauge Chelsea’s knowledge of the paint incident. “How was school?” she asked once they were well on their way home. 

The kids quickly mumbled under their breath before falling silent once more. The quietness was enough to alert the adult in the vehicle that something was up. “You guys can talk to me,” she said, glancing in the mirror and meeting three pairs of eyes. 

Nia glanced at Tess, who shook her head slightly. If they told Chelsea what was going on, she would tell Raven. And that would  _ not _ end well. Booker cleared his throat, glancing between Tess and Nia. Someone had to say something, otherwise Chelsea would tell their mom that something was up. “It’s just…”

“Just Zeena,” Nia cut in, shooting a look at her brother. He hadn’t said anything fast enough. “She thinks she’s so much better than everyone else, and doesn’t have a problem letting you know that she thinks that. She made Tess’ life pretty miserable today,” Nia continued, glancing apologetically at her best friend.

“Yeah, she messed up my jump shot,” Tess improvised, smiling at the others in the backseat when it appeared that they had satisfied Chelsea’s curiosity. 

Arriving home, the redhead deposited her bag on the serving window as the kids raced to put their things away before converging on the roof. Smiling at their retreating backs, she smiled as she remembered how many times she and Raven had scurried off to the brunette’s bedroom in high school to gossip and hang out. 

On the roof, a pact was made. “No one can tell Aunt Chelsea or Mom that I can see what’s happening before it happens,” Booker said, meeting each pair of eyes.

“Visions?” Nia asked.

“Yeah, let’s call them that from now on,” Booker replied, nodding in agreement. “Anyway, Mom and Aunt Chels  _ can not _ know about my visions. We all know how mom is, and we all know that Aunt Chels can’t keep a secret from mom,” he continued. Nodding, the kids all smiled at each other; it was like they were all part of a secret club, with just the four of them as members. Four text message alerts went off at the same time, and four heads snapped up. It was dinnertime. 

“Rae? I think we need to talk,” Chelsea said a few weeks later. Raven looked up from her magazine, concern etched on her face. She thought everything was going so well. Sure, there were two more mouths to feed, but she was living with her best friend. Things seemed to be going well for Chelsea, too.

“What’s up?” she asked cautiously, setting the magazine down and tucking her legs beside her on the couch. 

“The kids are gone?” she asked quietly, wanting to make sure that they were actually alone.

“The twins are in Texas with their dad, Tess is out of town for a basketball tournament, and your son is with your parents. If there are any kids here, they aren’t ours,” Raven replied, counting Tess as one of their own. 

“I’m worried...about Tess. She’s over here more and more, you know? And I love her just as much as I love your kids, but Rae...I think something’s wrong over there.”

Raven sighed. She’d picked up on it, too. Tess was at the apartment as long as anyone would allow it. The kids were thrilled to have a perpetual fourth, but the adults noticed the little things that the kids missed...like the look on Tess’ face when she had to leave every night. “It didn’t used to be this bad. She was over a lot, yeah...but now it’s like she never wants to leave. The look on her face when I have to tell her to go home...it’s like I kicked her puppy,” the brunette explained, fidgeting with her fingers. 

Chelsea nodded in agreement. “So what are we going to do?” she asked softly. Raven’s head snapped up at the ‘we’. For so long, it was Chelsea asking Raven what the brunette was going to do; now she included herself in the mix. Her heart fluttered at the redhead’s inclusion of herself into their household. They really did work well together.

“What if I...talked to Tess about it?” she suggested, shrugging.

“I don’t think that would work. I think Tess would feel attacked, almost. Do you think Nia could get her to talk about what’s going on?” Chelsea pondered.

“If Tess finds out that we asked Nia to check on her, it will feel like a huge betrayal,” Raven sighed. “But I don’t think we have much choice. We have to know what’s going on so that we can decide what to do about it,” she concluded. 

“I can’t believe you actually fell for that, Booker,” Levi said, leading the quartet into the apartment on Monday after school.

“Really? You can’t believe that Booker fell for something that obvious? Booker who got his head stuck  _ everywhere _ ? That Booker?” Nia asked, rolling her eyes. Glancing around the apartment, her eyes widened. “Wha-?”

“You kids get to the roof. Now. I mean it!” Raven interrupted, ushering the kids out as quickly as they had come in. Closing the door behind them, Raven turned to face the apartment once more. “Chels?” she called out, going from room to room. No sign of the redhead. No note, either.

Sighing, the brunette pulled out her phone, dialing the redhead’s number. The phone rang from the bedroom. Groaning in frustration, Raven stomped to the closet. As odd as it was for Chelsea to not be at the apartment, especially without her phone, it was even weirder for the apartment to not be clean. Muttering to herself, she pulled the closet door open. Instead of finding the vacuum, she found...Chelsea. 

Crouching down to the redhead’s level, she softened her voice. “Talk to me, Chelsea.”

Taking deep, shaky breaths, Chelsea only shook her head. She couldn’t talk right now. And even if she could, she didn’t know what had triggered this. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall against the wall. 

Raven sat on the floor, close enough to be supportive, but not close enough to scare the redhead.  _ ‘What do I do? I hate seeing her like this. I hate seeing her upset at all. She’s so beautiful when she’s laughing and happy,’ _ Raven thought, panicking at the last thought.

Taking one last deep breath, Chelsea stood up. “I’m okay, Rae. Really. It was just….a moment. I’ll be fine,” she lied, smiling brightly at the brunette. Raven noticed that her smile didn’t meet her eyes. 

“Chels...this isn’t healthy. I think...I think you might need to see someone,” Raven finished in a whisper. Chelsea could only nod.


	5. A New Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is put into place and begins to get executed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own That's So Raven, Raven's Home, or Disney. 
> 
> Thank you so much for getting this far! The girls are about to go on a trip that could change EVERYTHING. There's also some really cute kid/Devon bonding time, as well as parents and maybe Cory happening soon! I'm really excited about this entire plotline that I'm working on starting with this chapter. There are going to be some nostalgic remembrances and of course some Raven/Chelsea shenanigans. As always, rate and review!

“Mom!” three voices rang out. Raven groaned. If all three of them wanted something, it was sure to be bad. Climbing out of the bottom bunk, she stretched and yawned before making her way to the living room.

“It is too early for all of you to need something. What do you want?” she asked through her irritation. 

“Where’s my mom?” Levi asked.

“Either asleep or in her garden. What do you three need?” Raven tried again.

“Well...we need some help,” Nia began uncertainly.

“What project do you have due tomorrow that you’re just now telling me about?” she asked around a yawn. 

“It’s not about school,” Booker reassured her.

“It’s about mom,” Levi cut in, stepping in front of the other two. 

Looking from face to face, Raven sighed. She had known it would only be a matter of time before the kids caught on that Chelsea wasn’t acting like the Aunt Chels that she had been just a week earlier, even. Sighing, she sat the kids down on the couch; she didn’t know what she was going to say, but she had to say  _ something _ . 

“Listen, kids. It’s...complicated,” she began.

“No it isn’t, mom. We know something’s up with her, and we want to help,” Nia explained.

“We know this whole thing hasn’t been easy on her, and I know that we don’t always help,” Booker continued.

“We want to do something nice for her, maybe take her mind off of things and remind her that we love her.” Nia again. The girl was wise beyond her years, Raven had to give her that. She smiled at the trio sitting on the couch. When had they become so mature?

“What do you suggest?” she asked.

“That's ...what we need help with,” Levi confessed. 

“Oh. Well ...” Raven trailed off, trying to think of something that would remind the redhead just how much she meant to the entire family. Snapping her fingers, a smile crossed her face. She had the perfect idea. “Oh! How about this: I’ll take her out for a couple of hours and while we’re gone you guys can clean the house!” 

“Are you serious?” Levi asked.

“What? I thought it was a good idea,” Raven defended. Before she could come up with anymore ideas, the brunette felt the all-too-familiar whoosh as she was sucked into another vision. Her and Chelsea were in Raven’s old kitchen, Tanya and Victor at the table while the two friends cooked. “San Francisco?” she asked quietly as she was pulled back to the present.

“What’d you say, mom?” Booker asked.

“I think ...I think I’m going to take Chelsea to San Francisco for a few days. I’ll have your dad come and watch all of you,” Raven said, the idea forming in her head. 

“But...Dad can barely handle Booker and I,” Nia pointed out. 

“True. Levi, you have to help Devon,” Raven said, turning to the youngest child.

Yawning, Chelsea made her way into the living room. “Did I miss a family meeting?” she asked.

“No! No! Nothing going on here!” Raven said, studiously avoiding the redhead’s eyes. 

“Raven…” 

“Kids, go get ready for school,” Raven said.

“Mom, it’s Saturday,” Booker replied. 

“Snap! Okay, go to your rooms. Or Booker’s room.”

“Raven, what is going on?” Chelsea asked. 

Before Raven could answer, her phone rang. It was her mom. “Hey mom! Dad did WHAT? Well, how long is he expected to be out? Are you ser--of course we can come out to help. I’ll have Devon watch the kids. Levi is so well-behaved, it will be like he isn’t even there.” Sighing, she hung up the phone.

“Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Dad had back surgery and is going to be out for about a week. I told mom that we’d come help out for a bit. I was planning on taking you to San Francisco anyway and staying at the house. Kind of like a mini vacation, you know?” Raven replied, smiling wistfully at her best friend.

“Rae, that’s so sweet!”

“I figured it would be good for you...for us,” Raven continued. 

Grabbing the brunette’s hand, Chelsea beamed at her best friend. “And it will be! Even if we’re helping your parents. But can Devon handle all three kids by himself?” Chelsea worried.

Raven couldn’t focus on anything but the feeling of Chelsea’s hand on hers. They had always held hands, but it had never felt like this. She had never noticed how soft her hands were, how instinctively their fingers interlaced. Her heart fluttered as she involuntarily smiled.  _ ‘What is wrong with me? Get a grip, Raven!’ _ she thought as she shook her head. 

“Devon won’t be able to handle it?” Chelsea asked, releasing the brunette’s hand.

“What? No, Devon will be fine. Levi is barely any trouble,” Raven reassured the redhead. 

Chelsea nodded at the other woman, allowing herself to get excited. “When do we leave?” 

“As soon as I tell Devon he’s watching the kids and he gets here,” Raven laughed, turning away from Chelsea to make the call. While she was on the phone, Chelsea booked the plane tickets. Raven was laughing at something that her ex-husband was saying, and the redhead felt an unexpected pang of jealousy. It was always good to see Raven smiling and laughing, but she liked it better when  _ she  _ was the one making the brunette smile and laugh.  _ ‘Get a grip, Chels! Raven is your best friend. Devon is her ex-husband. They’re allowed to be on good terms.’ _ she thought, heading towards their shared bedroom to pack. Getting off the phone, Raven turned to tell Chelsea that Devon would be in at 5AM the next day...only to find that the redhead was nowhere in sight.

Walking into their bedroom, Raven found Chelsea furiously packing. “What’s going on?” she asked, worried about what the answer would be.

“Nothing. Nothing. I just ...I just want to get packed so that we can leave as soon as possible,” Chelsea replied, shaking her head to clear her errant thoughts. 

“Well, Devon won’t be here until 5AM tomorrow, so you can slow down a bit,” Raven replied.

“Rae, sit down,” Chelsea replied, patting the bottom bunk as she sat down. Raven sat, waiting for Chelsea to continue. “I’m fine. I’m just ...realizing some things and trying to process everything,” she said, running a hand through her hair. 

“Like what?” Raven asked.

_ ‘Like how I’m realizing that I might like you as more than a friend, and maybe it’s always been that way,’ _ Chelsea thought before replying brightly, “Just some job stuff. I miss running a business, Rae. I was good at it. I’m thinking about trying to get back into it.”

“Chels, that’s great! What are you thinking about doing? Another invention?” Raven asked, looking up from packing to make eye contact with the redhead.

“I don’t know yet,” Chelsea replied, glad that her change of topic had had the desired effect. It wasn’t a lie, either, but she hadn’t been planning on telling Raven about her idea of getting back into business until she had a better idea of what she wanted to do. 

“Well, we’ll figure it out,” Raven replied, zipping up her bag. Chelsea had long since stopped packing, her bags sitting at the foot of the bed. 

“You’re only bringing one bag?” she asked, arching a brow at her best friend. 

“Yeah. So?” Raven asked, shrugging.

“Raven Baxter is only bringing one bag for a week-long trip?” 

“Why is that so hard to believe, Chels?” 

“Uhm...because I know you, Rae. You overpack for EVERYTHING. Remember that time that you crashed the camping trip with the Nature Club?” the redhead reminded her.

Raven laughed. She remembered that trip all too well. It may have been the first time that she realized she liked girls as well as boys. “You have a point. But I’ll be fine.”

Chelsea shrugged, chuckling as she placed both bags by the front door. The tickets were already on their phones, and everything was set. Tomorrow they would be on a semi-mini-vacation. “The plane leaves at 6:45 tomorrow morning, so Devon can’t be late,” Chelsea reminded the brunette from the other room. 

After tucking the kids in and saying their goodbyes and goodnights, the two women retreated to their prospective beds. Smiling from ear to ear, each woman was glad that the other couldn’t see her face. Maybe this would be the week that they confessed how they felt, at least a little. For now, though, it was time for sleep.


	6. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chelsea and Raven arrive in San Fran, amid a psychic cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own That's So Raven, Raven's Home, or Disney. Remember Cell Phone Rock from the camping episode? We're going there. Raven's mind-reading is a bit hard to write without spilling everything (I want to wait until a bit later in the trip to maybe spill SOMETHING), so my apologies. This chapter was equally difficult and fun to write, especially with the mind-reading bit. As always, please rate and review!

The plane ride was, for the most part, an uneventful affair. Raven sketched out new design ideas while Chelsea slept, and when the redhead would wake up, the brunette would be asleep, pencil still in hand. She would ease the pencil away from the drawing in progress and pull out a small notebook, jotting down ideas for a new business venture. As the plane touched down in San Francisco five hours later, Raven woke up, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she reacclimated herself to her surroundings. “Where’s my--?” she began to ask groggily.

“Already put away. Everything’s ready to go. Your mom is waiting for us at the gate,” Chelsea supplied, slipping her notebook back into her bag as everyone stood up to disembark. Raven could only nod. Chelsea had always somehow been the more organized of the two, making sure that everything was in place and ready to go. 

Tanya greeted both women with a hug before leading them to the luggage carousel, chattering away about life in the big empty house now that both kids were gone. “You know, Cory couldn’t get away, but you girls...you dropped everything,” Tanya said, beaming at the two. 

“Anything for you and dad!” Raven replied, grabbing her single bag off of the belt.

“Only one bag, honey? Are you feeling okay?”

“She’s fine, Mrs. B. Just trying something new,” Chelsea supplied. 

Feeling her daughter’s head, Tanya frowned. “You feel warm…”

“I’m fine, mom. Just a little cold,” Raven explained before sneezing. Tanya and Chelsea exchanged worried looks. 

_ ‘Hopefully it isn’t another psychic cold,’ _ the older of the two thought.

“It’s not a psychic cold, mom,” Raven replied.

“I didn’t say anything about a psychic cold,” Tanya replied, leading the way to the car. Raven groaned. This was going to be such a good week. 

“I’m sorry, mom….Chels,” she apologized, climbing into the backseat with Chelsea. 

“It’s not your fault, Rae. I can handle it,” Chelsea replied, patting the brunette’s hand.  _ ‘Hopefully I can handle it. And besides, I just have to keep my mind off of her...I’m not ready to tell her yet,’ _ she thought, studiously avoiding Raven’s gaze. 

Arching her brow at her best friend, Raven stayed quiet. She knew that now was not the time nor the place to figure out what Chelsea meant and what she was putting off telling her best friend. “You’ll do great, Chels. And it’s only a little cold. It won’t keep me down long,” she assured the redhead. 

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence, both non-psychics painfully aware that Raven could read their minds. The mental silence was almost more deafening than the actual silence, but Raven knew that that was to be expected. 

Walking into the house a while later, the women deposited their bags in Raven’s old room.  _ ‘I’m actually kind of excited about sleeping on a bed that isn’t part of a bunk bed,’ _ Chelsea thought.

“Girl, me too,” Raven replied, flopping down. 

“Rae, you’ve got to stop reading people’s minds,” Chelsea said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I can’t help it, Chels. I wish I could turn it off...but I can’t.”

“Girls! Pizza’s here!” Tanya yelled up the stairs. Smiling at each other, the two went downstairs to eat dinner.

Raven’s phone went off as everyone was sitting down to eat. Devon. “Devon, it hasn’t even been a full day,” she sighed, answering the Facetime call.

“We’re two hours ahead, remember? The kids wanted to say goodnight before they went to bed,” Devon explained. Shifting so that Chelsea was also in the frame, the women said their goodnights to their small family, Tanya and Victor looking on with smiles on their faces.

_ ‘They do work well together. Maybe Tanya was right,’ _ Victor thought as Raven hung up the call.

“What was mom right about?” Raven questioned around a piece of pizza.

“Honey, Raven has a psychic cold,” Tanya explained, a guilty look on her face. She had meant to tell him sooner. 

“Oh. Uh...your mom was right about how much you make sure your kids know that you love them,” Victor quickly explained, relief evident in his eyes when Raven seemed to have bought it. 

“Dinner was weird, right?” Raven asked a while later, when both women were back in Raven’s childhood bedroom. 

“Well, Rae, you CAN read people’s minds,” Chelsea reminded her.

“But only temporarily! And besides, it’s not like there’s anything life-changing going on that I’m not being told about,” Raven defended. 

_ ‘This is going to be a long week,’ _ Chelsea thought before replying, “You’re right, Rae. I’m going to go get some tea, clear my head. I’ll be up later.” 

Staring at her best friend’s retreating form, Raven was too confused to answer her. Why would this be a long week? What wasn’t Chelsea telling her? She froze where she was, a vision taking over her senses. It was Chelsea with a hopeful smile on her face. “I really like you. And I have for a long time.” 

Getting pulled back into the present, Raven started. Who did Chelsea like? And why didn’t she confide in her? Heading downstairs, she knew that her parents would be asleep, and Chelsea would be in the backyard, just like when they were in high school. Sure enough, the redhead was sitting at the patio table, looking up at the night sky as she sipped her tea. 

Softly clearing her throat, Raven took Chelsea’s hand, pulling her up from her chair. “Rae? What are you doing?” Chelsea asked, a trace of rare irritation evident in her voice. 

“You want to see the actual stars?” Raven asked, hoping that being out in nature would make Chelsea feel more at home. 

“What are you talking about?” Chelsea asked, exasperatedly. 

“Cell phone rock. Remember?” Raven replied, beaming at her best friend. 

“What about your parents?” 

“Mom’s got this. I ran into her while I was looking for you.”

Sighing, Chelsea gave in. “It HAS been a while since I’ve been in nature…”

“Great! Let’s go!” 

“Wait! What about your cold?”

“I had a vision, and now I feel better,” Raven explained, shrugging.

“It didn’t work that way in high school…”

“Maybe because I’m older now?” Raven questioned, shrugging.

“Can you still hear thoughts?” Chelsea asked.  _ ‘It’d be great if your cold was actually gone. Then I don’t have to worry about keeping my secret a secret,’ _ she thought.

“Sadly, I can still hear thoughts. But you know that I can keep your secrets, right Chels?” she asked, taking the redhead’s free hand. 

“I know, Raven ...but this one...it’s so big. I’m still dealing with it myself.” 

Nodding, Raven tugged lightly at the hand she was still holding. “Cell phone rock?” she prompted.

Chelsea smiled at the brunette. She hadn’t seen Raven this excited about nature in….well, since high school, if that even counted. “Cell phone rock,” she replied, following her best friend. 


	7. Cell Phone Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Chelsea have an important discussion atop Cell Phone Rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. 
> 
> This is the first time that Raven and Chelsea have THAT conversation. The psychic cold storyline ended more abruptly than I had originally planned, but I think this opens up some more conversations and discoveries. I also have some more fun plot ideas in the works, and some nostalgic guests (Ben Sturky or Jennifer from Vegetarian Camp?). As always, rate and review!

Some time later, the two women were perched atop Cell Phone Rock, leaning into each other as they took in the natural beauty around them. Raven couldn’t believe that she’d been so against it in high school. She hated the dirt and the bugs, but she couldn’t complain about the view. Or the company. “Chels? I just wanna say thank you,” Raven said, looking up at the sky.

“For what?” Chelsea asked in surprise, breaking her gaze away from the stars.

“For being there after Devon. For always showing up,” the brunette replied, turning to smile at her best friend.

“Of course, Rae. What are best friends for, huh?” the redhead asked, a smile on her face. 

“I mean it, Chels. You’ve really been there for me over the years. I don’t want you to think that I’m taking you for granted or that you aren’t loved and appreciated by me and the kids.”

“I know that, Rae. It’s just...there’s been so much going on lately, but things are finally starting to get better, you know? I haven’t had any freak outs in like, a week, and Levi is adjusting really well. We’re lucky to have someone like you.”

“I gotta say, I feel kind of sorry for Nia. Now it’s like she has two brothers instead of one. But I wouldn’t trade our family for anything in the world. But we do need to talk,” Raven admitted.

“We are talking.”

“Chels, something is up with you lately. Don’t say that it’s not. I may not have my psychic cold anymore, but I can still tell when you’re hiding things. The fact that I heard you thinking about how you have to hide things didn’t hurt, either.”

“I thought you could still read minds?” Chelsea questioned, shooting her best friend a quizzical look.

Concentrating, Raven tried to read her best friend’s mind. She came up empty; trying again, she still came up empty. “Huh. I guess not,” she admitted in defeat.

“Well, Rae, there is someone that I might be interested in,” the redhead began uncertainly. 

“Oooohhh! What’s his name?” Raven squealed, turning to face Chelsea in excitement.

The redhead fidgeted nervously before clearing her throat and speaking. “It--it isn’t a ‘he’, Rae.”

“O-oh. Well, what’s her name?”

“Nope. Not yet. Not while everything is still so new and I’m figuring everything out,” Chelsea replied, shaking her head vehemently. 

“But I could--”

“You’re not helping, Rae,” the redhead said firmly.

“But--”

“NO. Besides, you’ve been pretty smiley lately, too. Spill,” Chelsesa said, carefully changing the subject. 

“Wh-what do you mean?” Raven asked nervously, looking anywhere but at her best friend.

“You know what I mean, Rae.”

“Well….there’s the potential of someone else,” Raven confessed quietly.

“Who?!” Chelsea exclaimed, her excitement mirroring Raven’s own. 

“Uh-uh. I’ll tell you mine when you tell me yours,” the brunette replied.

“I don’t even get a hint? You know mine’s a woman,” Chelsea protested.

“Okay, fine. Mine’s a woman too,” Raven sighed. Exchanging a look with one another, each woman smiled. Years of suspicions and skirting around the issue had been confirmed. Putting their heads together, the pair fell silent as they went back to gazing at the starry night sky.

“Rae?” Chelsea asked a few moments later, breaking the serene silence.

“Yeah, Chels?”

“Levi doesn’t know...that I’m interested in women as well,” Chelsea began uncomfortably.

“Neither do the twins. I’ll tell them when the time is right...but it hasn’t been right,” Raven confessed.

“Yeah...and with everything that’s going on with Garrett, I don’t want to confuse Levi any more,   
Chelsea lamented.

“Levi’s a great kid. I’m more worried about Booker and Nia.”

“The twins? They’ll be fine. Besides, if they inherited your visions, they’ll know before you even think about telling them,” Chelsea giggled, nudging Raven.

Raven froze. “Do--do you think that they are?” she asked quietly.

“I-I don’t know, Rae. I don’t know how your visions work,” Chelsea replied.

“That-that would explain why my pyschic cold came out of nowhere and then disappeared just as quickly,” Raven mused.

“Do you think it transferred to one of the twins?” Chelsea asked, her head finding its way to Raven’s shoulder.

Raven sighed, brunette hair mingling with red as she looked up at the stars. “I don’t know. And I don’t know whether to be hopeful that one of them has it or hopeful that neither of them got it.”

“You have to tell them eventually, whether they got your visions or not,” Chelsea advised.

“Nope. Not gonna do that. Because if they didn’t get it , then they won’t understand. And it’s like my superpower,” Raven answered. 

Chelsea nodded, breaking her gaze from the stars to look at her best friend. “You know, Rae, your kids are really lucky to have you. Superpower and all.”

Raven smiled. “Levi’s lucky to have you too, Chels.”

Standing, the redhead extended her hand to the brunette. “We had better get back to your parents’. It’s getting late and you know Devon will want to Facetime first thing in the morning because the twins will be fighting over breakfast or clothes or who rides shotgun.” 

“You’re right. That man can’t handle them for five whole minutes alone. Did we make a mistake coming out here?” Raven asked.

“No, Rae. You have to give the man a little credit. They’re his kids, too,” Chelsea pointed out.

“I know, but--”

“No buts, Raven. Devon is a good dad,” the redhead defended.

  
_ ‘Yeah, but you’re a great second mom to them,’ _ Raven thought wistfully. Shaking her head to clear her mind, the brunette tugged on Chelsea’s hand, leading the way to the car. “Let’s go home.”


	8. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Chelsea make some confessions as Tanya plays matchmaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Disney, That's So Raven, or Raven's Home. 
> 
> Merry Christmas! As my Christmas gift to you, you get your first Raven and Chelsea kiss! Tanya also plays matchmaker a bit, and things start going somewhere. This chapter was fun to write, mainly because I really like the idea of Raven and Chelsea being able to do couple-y things in San Fran and then pretending like everything is normal back in Chicago, so lots of shenanigans can ensue. I know it's been dialogue-heavy lately, and I'm sorry. But important conversations are happening! As always, read and review.

The house was dark as the women crept to Raven’s room, as they had done countless times when they were in high school. Linking hands as they crept through the dark house, the two found themselves jumping at every creak; it had been too long since they’d crept through the darkness, and they were out of practice. Chelsea broke the silence first, when they were safely back on Raven’s bed. “I’m really glad you told me,” she said around a yawn.

“I’m glad you told me, too,” Raven replied, smiling gently at her best friend. Chelsea’s response was drowned out by a yawn, and the redhead smiled apologetically at the brunette. “I guess it’s bedtime,” Raven chuckled, pulling the sheets back. She knew that both women were too tired to change into proper pajamas, and a few minutes later, Chelsea was cuddled up against her. Stroking the familiar red hair, Raven thought back to their countless conversations over the years. She had always known that her best friend was special, that their bond went deeper than mere friendship. Lately, though, it seemed as though she was the one wanting the friendship to change, not Chelsea. Sighing, the brunette tried to push it out of her mind as Chelsea’s head found its way to her shoulder. Yawning, she allowed her body to wrap itself around the redhead’s as both women finally drifted off to sleep. 

Chelsea was the first one awake the next day. She tried shifting away from Raven, but the brunette clung on to her; smiling, the redhead allowed herself to relax into her best friend’s embrace for just a little longer. 

“Girls!” Tanya yelled up the stairs. Chelsea didn’t remember when she had drifted back to sleep, but she hurriedly wiped the sleep from her eyes and slid out from Raven’s embrace. She had wanted to surprise everyone with breakfast. The brunette, for her part, grunted in her sleep and moved to the middle of the bed. Smiling and shaking her head, the redhead made her way downstairs.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Baxter. I meant to get up and make breakfast, but I guess I was so tired that I couldn’t stay awake,” Chelsea said apologetically.

“Chelsea, I don’t expect you to do everything. I can take care of myself,” Tanya smiled at her. “I just enjoy having you girls back here. I do want to talk to you though,” she continued as Chelsea fixed a cup of coffee.

“What do you wanna talk about?” Chelsea asked, taking a sip of her coffee as she sat at the table. 

“Raven. Does she still have her psychic cold?”

“No, that wore off last night. It was really weird, though…”

“Weird how?”

“She had a vision, and it was gone. I’m wondering if it got passed to one of the twins.”

“That’s possible,” Tanya conceded. Clearing her throat, she continued, “Did Raven seem...different...with this psychic cold?”

Chelsea’s heart stuttered. She had picked up on the differences between this psychic cold and her previous ones. But she couldn’t tell Raven’s mom about her theories behind the differences without disclosing their conversations from the night before. “Yeah, but I’m not sure why,” she offered, knowing that she had to say something. 

“It’s like she’s trying to work through some kind of feelings…” Tanya pressed. She knew the redhead was hiding something, but she didn’t want to push her too far.

“She hasn’t said anything about being attracted to anyone. Although anyone would be lucky to have her,” Chelsea replied, realizing too late that she hadn’t kept the ‘lucky’ comment to herself. Eyes widening, she tried to backtrack. “I-I mean…”

“Chelsea, relax. Victor and I think we may know what is going on,” Tanya reassured the other woman.

“You-you do?”

“Yes. You and Raven have a very special bond. One that even she and Devon didn’t have. That’s something that needs to be held on to. Which is why I want to help,” the older woman continued, unable to stop herself from smiling.

“Help?” Chelsea asked, draining the rest of her coffee.

“I know the way you used to look at Raven in high school, Chelsea. We were her parents; we weren’t blind. It’s the same way you look at her now, and the way that she looks at you. You two just haven’t noticed it or acknowledged it. Do you want her to know how you feel?”

“I don’t know. It’s been this secret for so long. I don’t know what would happen if it was all out in the open, and I don’t want to ruin the best friendship of my life,” Chelsea confessed. 

“Chelsea, you’ve got to tell her at some point in time. If only to get it off your chest,” Tanya encouraged.

“You’re right. There’s just no right time,” Chelsea replied.

“No right time for what?” Raven asked, coming down the stairs.

Smiling encouragingly at Chelsea, the older woman patted the younger, slender hands as she stood. “I’ve got to go check on your father,” she threw over her shoulder as she left the kitchen.

“No right time for what?” Raven repeated, sitting opposite from Chelsea. The redhead toyed with her empty coffee mug as she wrestled with herself.

“Raven…” she began uncertainly.

“Chels.It’s me,” the brunette replied, covering the redhead’s hand with her own. 

_ ‘Yeah, that’s the problem. It is you. You’re what I want. You’re what I’ve always wanted,’ _ Chelsea thought. “Yeah…”she said softly. “Look...it’s just...it’s nothing,” she tried, chickening out of telling Raven the truth.

“Your face doesn’t say it’s nothing, Chels.”

Chelsea took a deep breath. She could tell Raven wasn’t going to drop the issue. It was now or never. Removing her hands from the brunette’s, she wrapped them around her now-cold coffee mug. “It’s going to change everything. And probably not for the better,” the words were barely more than a whisper. 

“What is it?” Raven asked, her heart jumping into her throat as worst-case scenarios played out unbidden in her head. Were she and Levi moving out? Had she figured out that Raven liked her and didn’t return the feeling? Was she getting back together with Garrett?

“Rae, I…” Chelsea’s voice caught in her throat. She couldn’t really go through with this, could she? “I really like you. And I have for a long time. Since high school, actually,” she rushed ahead. “And I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, but I’ve been holding onto this for so long and it feels so good to get it off my chest and…” she trailed off as she caught the look on Raven’s face.

“That was my vision, Chels. It was you telling me you had feelings for me,” Raven said, a slight smile on her face. 

“Levi and I can be gone by the end of the month, and I can sleep on the couch until then,” the redhead offered. 

“You and Levi aren’t going anywhere. But I have a confession to make,” Raven hedged.

Chelsea’s chest tightened. Here it was--the big ‘we can be friends, but I’m not interested in you’ talk. Steeling herself, she nodded at her best friend to continue.

“Remember that person I was talking about last night? Well…” Raven shrugged. “It’s you.”

Chelsea released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She didn’t know where things were going to go from here, but at least they were on the same page. “What now?” she asked.

“We can’t act any different when we get back to Chicago. The kids wouldn’t understand,” Raven said. Chelsea nodded. “In the meantime…” she trailed off as she leaned across the table, brushing her lips against the redhead’s. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as electricity surged through her body. Pulling back entirely too soon, she smiled softly at the other woman. Kissing Devon had never felt like that. It was nice, sure, but it had never felt so...right.

“Girls?” Tanya asked, backing into the kitchen. Raven blushed as she hurriedly sat back down. 

“Yeah mom?”

“Can you put these old photos in the attic?” the older Baxter asked, depositing a large box of photos on the counter. Face etched in curiosity, Raven grabbed one off of the top. It was her, Chelsea, and Eddie. She was in the middle, both friends looking at her. But there was something about the way that Chelsea was looking at her in the photo…

“Yeah, mom, we’ll take care of it,” Raven replied distractedly. 

“Why are we moving them?” Chelsea asked, grabbing another photo. It was her and Raven, taken shortly before a school dance. Chelsea was laughing at something that someone had said, and the way Raven was watching her in the photo...it was oddly familiar.

“They used to be in our bedroom, kind of where we’ve been storing them. But they’ve been in the way since Victor had his surgery, and I just haven’t had time to take them up there,” Tanya replied, smiling as she left the kitchen. It looked like her plan had worked.

Grabbing the box, Raven led the way to the attic. “Chels?” she asked once she was sure they were out of earshot of her parents.

“Yeah?” 

“I like you too,” Raven said, glad that Chelsea couldn’t see the blush blooming on her cheeks.

Chelsea’s heart thudded. Raven liked her back. Now the trick was to act normally around the kids when they got back. Too bad she had gotten a taste of kissing Raven Baxter. And she wasn’t ready to give it up.


	9. Evening Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are discussed for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Raven's Home, That's so Raven, or Disney. I know that this is a super short chapter, and I'm sorry. Retail holidays have made my creativity pretty nonexistent for the past week or so, but I wanted to get something out. As always, read and review.

Dinner was, for the most part, a very Baxter-ish affair. Raven’s hand never left Chelsea’s thigh, the redhead painfully aware of the touch. Raven scarfed down the chicken that Tanya had made, while her family looked on in disbelief. “What?” she asked between bites. 

“You can slow down, honey. No one is going to take it from you,” Victor pointed out. For her part, Tanya hadn’t told Victor about the conversation between herself and Chelsea that morning, nor did she act like anything was different. 

“I just want to start on my new design,” Raven explained as she downed the last of her water and pushed her plate away.

“What are your plans for this evening, Chelsea?” Tanya asked, focusing on the redhead.

“Oh, um...I’m not sure,” the redhead answered. She knew how Raven could get when she was designing, but usually she was surrounded by kids to distract her. With everyone back in Chicago, she was truly at a loss. Her phone rang then, and the redhead excused herself to answer it. Coming back to the table a few minutes later, Chelsea grinned at her best friend. “You’ll never guess who’s back in town,” she enthused.

“From that look on your face, probably your vegetarian camp friend Jennifer or whatever her name was,” Raven grumbled, more to herself than to anyone else. 

Chelsea’s smile widened. “Jennifer is passing through town tonight, so we’re getting together. That way you can work on your designs in peace,” the redhead bubbled. 

Raven nodded tightly. She had felt like the third wheel in high school, but now that she knew Chelsea liked girls, she felt like she was losing her all over again. Clearing her throat, the brunette nudged Chelsea out of the way. “I-I’m gonna get to work on my design. Have fun with Jennifer,” she said, smiling brightly at the redhead. TOO brightly. 

“I can cancel…” the redhead offered uncertainly. She was reminded of Garrett when she would try to make plans with other people, jealous and untrusting. She offered the path of least resistance, more willing to cancel plans with an old friend than have her best friend be mad at her for going out.

“You deserve to go out, Chels. It’s fine,” Raven replied, fighting an internal battle of her own. On one hand, she wanted Chelsea to be happy. On the other hand, it was JENNIFER. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Chelsea--she did, implicitly. She just didn’t trust Jennifer.

“Are you sure?” the redhead asked quietly. Tanya looked between the two girls. She had never seen Chelsea like this. Raven either, for that matter. Sure, they had had more than their fair share of ups and downs, but nothing had been like this before.

Raven smiled brightly at her friend. “Yeah, Chels. I was just going to design, anyway.” Instinctively, the redhead grabbed the brunette’s hand under the table and squeezed it. It was more than a reassurance; it was a confirmation. It confirmed that Raven was the one she wanted, no matter who she was meeting tonight.


	10. The Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night out concludes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. 
> 
> This is probably my last chapter set in San Francisco, so you'll see some more co-parenting and kid shenanigans again soon! I've got some more great storylines in mind, and the continuation of some of the previous ones, but it's getting a lot more fluffy! Thanks for sticking by it this far, and as always, read and review!

The night passed quicker than Chelsea would have liked, but the redhead had to admit that she had a great time. Jennifer, for the most part, was still the same Jennifer that Chelsea knew from vegetarian camp. The blonde had done a lot of activism work in the years that they’d been apart, and had had a string of unsuccessful relationships. When Chelsea relayed her own troubles with Garrett, Jennifer had tried to cuddle up to her, seeming to be oblivious when Chelsea pulled away. At the end of the night, Jennifer walked Chelsea up to the door of the Baxter residence; not wanting the night to end so soon, she offered up everything from froyo to an impromptu camping trip. The redhead turned each suggestion down, growing more and more irritable with each suggestion. It had been nice seeing her friend again, but she wanted Raven. The realization brought a smile to her face, which Jennifer took to mean that one of her ideas had struck Chelsea’s fancy. 

“So you want to, then?” she asked hopefully, turning to the redhead.

“Want to what? Sorry, Jennifer, I just want to go to bed,” Chelsea replied. The blonde leaned in, aiming for her old friend’s lips. Chelsea instinctively pulled away, bumping into the bannister. 

“Not even a goodnight kiss?” Jennifer asked, pouting at the redhead.

Chelsea’s phone buzzed; it was a text from Raven.  _ ‘You coming in or what?’ _

_ ‘Jen wants’ _ Chelsea typed back, hitting send when she noticed the blonde staring at her. 

“Are you with her?” she accused even as the front door swung open and Raven stepped onto the porch.

“You okay, Chels?” she asked, looking at the redhead. For her part, while she looked shaken up, Chelsea looked like she would’ve been okay. Probably. 

“You’re with her?” Jennifer replied in disgust, taking another step towards Chelsea. Raven had seen enough. Grabbing the blonde’s arm, she pulled her away from her best friend.

“Does it matter if she is or if she isn’t? The point is, she doesn’t want you. And you need to leave. Now.” Taking the redhead’s hand, she ushered the woman in the house, making sure to lock the door behind them. Chelsea collapsed into Raven’s arms, heaving sobs wracking her body. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” It seemed to be all that Chelsea was capable of saying. Raven rubbed her back and offered hushed assurances that she had done nothing wrong. It was all she knew to do. 

“You had fun before she walked you up, though, right?” the brunette asked, leading the redhead to the couch. Chelsea nodded guiltily.

“But….but I left you,” she blubbered, swiping at her tears with the sleeve of her sweater.

“Chelsea, honey, I can take care of myself for a night,” Raven smiled, drawing the other woman closer.

“But…”

“No buts. I was a little worried about you seeing Jennifer again, but only because I thought something like this might happen,” Raven explained, her thumb tracing circles on pale skin. 

“How--?” Chelsea began, her breathing beginning to level out as she found herself being grounded by the brunette beside her.

“I saw the way she looked at you in high school. I figured she would try to get with you. It was why I got so jealous,” Raven admitted.

“You were jealous?”

Raven laughed. “You couldn’t tell? Chels, even my mom could tell. But nothing happened. And you’re safe.”

“But something almost did happen. Rae, if you hadn’t come down--”

“But I did. This trip was supposed to be a vacation,” Raven sighed in defeat, leaning against the couch cushions. Chelsea followed suit, her head dropping to Raven’s shoulder as the brunette looped an arm around the redhead’s waist. 

“It’s been a….very memorable trip,” Chelsea conceded through a watery smile. Raven chuckled, looking into watery brown eyes.

“It has been that,” she said quietly. “Can I kiss you?” she asked, searching the redhead’s eyes for permission. Chelsea nodded minutely, and Raven moved toward the redhead, lips meeting lips softly. Chelsea involuntarily sighed as the brunette pulled away, and she heard her best friend chuckle.

“What?” she asked teasingly, a smile forming on her lips. “Am I not allowed to like the fact that my best friend gives amazing kisses? Even if I was a blubbering mess when it happened?”

“You weren’t a blubbering mess, Chels. Ready for bed? I want to be big spoon,” Raven replied, tugging on the redhead’s hand. She wasn’t exactly tired, but she guessed that Chelsea would be exhausted from the crying, if nothing else.

Nodding, the redhead allowed herself to be led upstairs. “Hey, Rae?” she asked as they made their way through the dark house.

“Hmm?”

Jennifer asked if we were together…” Chelsea trailed off, not sure how to ask what was on her mind.

“Do you want to be?” Raven asked in reply.

“Do you?”

“No fair. I asked first,” the brunette teased. 

“It….it makes sense, right?” Chelsea replied quietly. Her heart stuttered as she waited for Raven’s answer.

“It does make sense. What about the kids, though?” 

“Do you really think they’ll notice?” Chelsea asked in reply through a yawn. She was more tired than she thought.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Raven laughed.

The next morning, Chelsea woke up to find Raven already awake, working on her design from the night before. Yawning, she smiled at the brunette. “You could have woken me up when you got up.”

“You looked comfortable. I made breakfast for mom and dad already, but I can make you something if you’re hungry,” the brunette offered. 

“I’m okay. I can make something for myself. Whatcha workin’ on?”

“It’s for the new line. I have this great idea but I can’t get it onto paper the way I want it to,” Raven complained as Chelsea came up behind her. 

Kissing the top of Raven’s head, Chelsea rubbed the other woman’s shoulders. “I think it looks great.”

“Now you’re just trying to butter me up,” Raven laughed, tilting her head up. Chelsea took the opportunity to plant a quick kiss on unsuspecting lips. “That’s just mean,” the brunette whined playfully. 

“How is that mean?” Chelsea replied, smirking.

“Not even a proper good morning kiss,” Raven teased, turning in her chair to face the redhead.

Straddling the brunette, Chelsea looped her arms around Raven’s neck as she pulled her in for a kiss. Her tongue darted out, licking Raven’s lower lip as her hands tangled in the brunette’s hair. Nipping at her bottom lip, Chelsea broke the kiss and stood up. “How was that for a good morning kiss?” she asked. Raven could only nod weakly in response.


	11. Hiatus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't a chapter, just an explanation.

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that this story is going on a maybe permanent hiatus. I am just personally not as invested in this story as I was when I started it, and I feel like right now it isn't fair to me or you guys to continue something when the passion has gone out of it, especially with a fan work. I am writing another ChRave fic, which I think is just better all around, in terms of plot and writing. I'm sorry that it's so unfinished, but I might come back to it when I feel more unblocked. Thank you for taking this ride with me.


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